This viral photo says a lot about what the NFL protests are actually about.

On Sept. 27, photographer Brendan Smialowski clicked this photo while traveling with President Donald Trump’s motorcade in Indianapolis.

Photo by Brendan Smialowski/ AFP/ Getty Images.

The president was in town to deliver a speech on taxation reform.

On the right side of the make is Marvin L. Boatright, a 60 -year-old U.S. Army veteran.

In the photo, he’s wearing an American Legion cap and has the U.S. signal folded in his arms. Notably, he is also kneeling.

Photo by Brendan Smialowski/ AFP/ Getty Images.

Smialowski wasn’t the only photographer who captured the moment. Other photographers and news stores picked it up as well. Afforded the most recent notice on the NFL’s # TakeAKnee protests against racism and police brutality, the photo quickly extended viral.

Last week at a revival in Alabama, Trump thumped NFL players for complaining by kneeling during the national carol, intimating any athlete who does so is a “son of a bitch” who deserves to be fired.

Boatright — who served in the Army’s 1st Cavalry from 1974 to 1976 and whose papa had participated in World War II — clearly disagrees with the president.

“We love this country, ” Boatright told HuffPost after the photos spread far and near. “We love this signal. But we likewise love life and autonomy for all humanity.”

Boatright kneelings outside the funeral home their own families owns in Indianapolis. Photo by Brendan Smialowski/ AFP/ Getty Images.

He explained to the channel( emphasis added ):

“As a veteran, and as an African-American, we have already and we continue to serve for God and country. But you can have a compassion of God and country and still be against social sin. You don’t have to separate one from the other . strong> … For the commander-in-chief to call “our citizenssons” of a bitches’ was totally wrong and beneath the dignity of the bureau that he holds.”

“Members of the military like my grandfather who gambled their lives or fought for this country should not do so because of represents like the flag or the anthem, but because of the ideas those represents represent — like freedom of expression, and equality, and right for all.”

TV producer and veteran Norman Lear, 95, likewise shared photos of himself on Twitter: “I[ take a knee ], once more, in show solidarity with my brothers[ and] sisters still opposing[ for] equality[ and] justice, ” he wrote.

Through all of the sound, these rallies certainly are about ensuring equality for all Americans, Boatright carried — and we have a long way to go.

But Boatright, a grandfather of four, is hopeful for what the future holds.

“I would want their own children to be judged by the content of their persona rather than the color of their bark; you cannot ask for anything greater, ” he noted to HuffPost. “We’ve not contacted it yet, but I think we’ll get there.”